Author Archives: emmorris@usc.edu

Sports Tradition: Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid

Transcription: “The rivalry is intense. If Real Madrid wins a big game, fans go to Cibeles, and if Atlético wins, they go to Neptuno. The players come too and will jump in the fountains if it was an important game…The only time I will cheer for Atléti is when they are playing Barce.”

 

Similar to how Americans have several traditions surrounding football, Spaniards have many fútbol centered traditions. Two teams in particular, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, have inspired colorful victory celebrations.

Elaborate sculptures and fountains are scattered throughout Madrid, often times centered in the middle of large roundabouts. Each of the soccer teams has their own fountain that functions similar to a mascot. Real Madrid’s fountain is named Cibeles and Atlético Madrid’s fountain is named Neptuno. When one of the teams wins, especially if it was an important game, fans hurry to the respective fountain where they are joined by the team. The team members will even jump into the fountain depending on the importance of the game.  

Since Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid are rivals, the fountain celebrations following their games are chaotic. The fact the fountains are only a few streets apart amplifies the intensity of the celebration. Overall, the tradition signifies a coming together of a community to honor the athletic achievements of their soccer team.

I would compare the rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid as the Spanish equivalent to the rivalry between UCLA and USC. Both are “cross town rivals,” and when the two teams play each other, the game brings out much tension between fans on each side. The only time Real Madrid and Atlético support each other is when one of them is playing against Barcelona, a common enemy.

 

Spanish Proverb 3

Original Transcription: A buenas horas mangas verdes!

English Transcription: “The green sleeves arrive at good hours!”

This expression is used when something that you strongly hoped for happens or presents itself when it is no longer useful. The speaker using the phrase would have an exasperated or sarcastic tone. The phrase in Spanish omits a verb. If the meaning of the phrase were fully written out, it would be, “las mangas verdes llegan a buenas horas.” Despite the missing verb, the listener would understand the meaning of the proverb due to its commonly known history.

According to my informant, this expression has a long history. “Los mangas verdes,” or the green sleeves, were an armed political group in fifteenth century Spain. Their official name was La Santa Hermandad, and they were commissioned by the queen to track down criminals. Once they found the criminals, they would put them in prison. However, the green sleeves were notoriously known to arrive late. Often times, the green sleeves would arrive at the scene of a crime after the thief had already fled, thus failing to fulfil their purpose.

The phrase ridicules the failures of the early Spanish criminal justice system, and one would have to know the history of the green sleeves to fully understand the proverb. The fact that the proverb is still used today is significant because the phrase connects Spaniards with their history.

 

Spanish Proverb 2

Original Transcription: “A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.”

English Transcription: “One who wakes up early, God helps him/her” or “God helps those who wake up early.”

This is another common Spanish proverb. The literal translation of the phrase is “one who wakes up early, God helps him/her.” If this proverb were translated into English syntax, it would read, “God helps those who wake up early.”

The Spanish word “madrugador(a)” refers to an “early riser” or one who wakes up early in the morning. The speaker uses this proverb to describe themselves when they have woken up early, usually before the other members of their family. Due to its meaning, the phrase becomes a form of bragging that shames those who choose sleep over work. Therefore, the proverb inadvertently accuses another person of laziness. If the person being addressed likewise wants God’s help, they must wake up early and begin working.

Although simplistic, the saying intertwines the Spanish cultural values. The proverb communicates the importance of good work ethic and reinforces the value with religious beliefs. The English equivalent of this proverb is “the early bird gets the worm.” The English phrase is a secularized version of the same proverb since it teaches that rewards come directly from one’s hard work. The English proverb places the power of reward into the human’s hands as opposed to the Spanish idea that rewards for hard work come from God.

 

Disneyland Folklore: The Jungle Cruise

Transcription: “At the end of every night, the Skippers yell, “Goodnight, Jungle Monster.” If you are a new skipper, you must throw a banana over the gorilla camp as a sacrifice. It used to be an actual garbage-panda-possum. Now, we think of it as a spirit…There is even a blog called, ‘Capturing the Jungle Monster’ where people can post stories about the Jungle Monster.” You also don’t want to scare the Jungle Monster by talking too loud or coming into your shift late. Whenever something bad happens on the ride, it is because someone angered the Jungle Monster.”

 

My informant used to be a cast member on Disney’s Jungle Cruise. As one of the park’s oldest rides, the attraction is associated with several forms of folklore. I asked my informant to describe the folklore. The ride takes visitors around to look at animatronic animals. However, the ride is also said to feature a specimen that is neither animatronic nor a visible. The creature is known as the Jungle Monster. Over the years, the myth of the Jungle Monster has varied. Originally, the creature was thought of as a hybrid animal, but the folklore has since evolved into spirit.

The folklore is lived out on a daily basis when at the end of each day, one lucky cast member gets to whisper goodnight to the Jungle Monster. My informant mentioned that saying goodnight to the Jungle Monster was seen as a privilege because it demonstrated seniority. The myth of the swamp monster has also become an initiation ritual. When a new skipper is added to the team, he or she must throw a banana into the gorilla camp as a sacrifice to the Jungle Monster. Once the new skipper completes this task, they have become an official Jungle Cruise skipper.

As with other mythical subjects, the Jungle Monster becomes a way to explain the world, in this case, the Jungle Cruise. Whenever something Malfunctions on the ride, the skippers reason that someone must have upset the Jungle Monster. One can upset the Jungle Monster by lacking on their duties or forgetting to say goodnight.

Disneyland Folklore: Ghosts

Transcription: “There are so many ghost stories related to Disneyland. The Haunted Mansion is supposed to be actually haunted because people used to bring the cremated remains of their relatives to the ride. Every now and then, they have to call in a hazmat service to clean up the ashes…People have also done that on the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride too. A little boy died on Roger Rabbit ride in 2002 and his spirit is said to haunt the ride. A little girl died on the Matterhorn and they call the dip where she died, Dolly’s Dip. She is said to run on the tracks and the work lights never function where she died…Walt’s apartment is hella haunted. You can’t get pictures in there because the cameras won’t focus. One of the rafts on the Jungle Cruise, The Zambizi,  is haunted by an old man. Some people think it’s Walt Disney.”

Ironically, the “happiest place on earth” has several associations with death. Disneyland attracts millions of people a year. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that ghost legends have become attached to the amusement park. After speaking with my informant, it seems like each ride at the park comes with a ghost story.

The ashes brought to the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean signify visitors acting on the ritual of spreading the ashes of their loved ones. The spreading of ashes is the final piece of a funeral ritual. By fulfilling the ritual, visitors indirectly contribute to the ghost legends.

Whenever a tragedy occurred at Disney, the ride at which the death took place is given the label of “haunted.” As in the case of the Matterhorn, the specific section of the ride has been given the name of the victim. The ghost stories act as a cautionary tale. Since most of the documented deaths occurred because children were not properly restrained by a seat belt or due to a lack of parent supervision, the ghost stories become a teaching method to reinforce safety on the rides.

Some people claim that Disneyland has several deaths because of the park’s address, 1313 Harbor Boulevard. The number thirteen is considered a cursed number since it is associated with unluckiness. I would argue that Disney’s address offers the superstitious support for their beliefs. Some may argue that the unlucky number acts like a beacon for tragedy.